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OPINION

Desert Sun letter: Could jail move exacerbate immigration problem?

Reader submissions
Published 7:30 a.m. PT Oct. 21, 2017

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More immigration jail are coming.

Foreign nationals drag their luggage behind them as they are released from the Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Building and staffing jails to hold illegal immigrants will improve the economy and fulfill President Trump’s pledge to create jobs. Since there may be many as 20 million illegal immigrants in America, we will need thousands of jails.

I’m sure every municipality in America will apply to have one of these facilities in their area to increase their tax revenue and to put their citizens to work. It ought to be safe work because illegal immigrants are not criminals and are mostly absorbed with trying to contact their children who may be incarcerated in children’s jails in other states.

One of the hazards of building a holding pen economy is that attrition will require a steady stream of illegals to keep the jails full. To keep the flow going, the president will have to abandon his plan to build a southern wall and to relax immigration restrictions.

Larry Shapiro, Rancho Mirage

Eager for greatness

Things are great.

Give President Donald Trump a chance and look at the stock market!

I'm very happy.

Emily Mclean, Palm Desert

Back to the future

Religious leaders have come out in support of the leader of this “Christian nation.”

They believe this nation must stand up against the movement toward socialism and must do everything necessary to keep a major religious minority from taking control. They also believe that despite his many flaws and often brutal response to his enemies, he is the best person to lead this nation to greatness again.

The year is 1933, the nation is Nazi Germany and the leader is Chancellor Adolf Hitler. The religious leader is Ludwig Muller, head of the “German Christians,” that later took the title of the “Reich Church.”

Christian leaders like Martin Niemoller spoke out against Hitler and the Nazis and paid the price by being imprisoned in 1937. Niemoller was the one who said: “Then they came for me and there was no one to speak out.”

Michael Gerson (Opinion, Oct. 17) noted the Family Research Council, an evangelical Christian organization, effectively declared its conversion to Trumpism. Other Christian organizations like Liberty University gave a strong welcome to the political speech of the president. Estimates are that 80 percent of the evangelical community voted for Donald Trump.

In a previous letter to this newspaper there was mention to name the new downtown city park after Nellie Coffman. I am further suggesting that the park be named Coffman Park in honor of other Coffman family members who also contributed, and still do, to our city’s strength.

Owen Coffman, my brother’s best pal, gave his life for our country in an aviation battle in World War II. Other Coffman family members established businesses, were on various boards, active in church development and made Palm Springs attractive to tourists and permanent residents alike.

I hope that the city powers that be today hold to keeping our past a part of future planning.

Marilyn Monroe statue? A flash in the pan. Coffman Park? Always the roots of our city and ongoing activity should be honored.

Tourists, family, residents, called Nellie “Mother Coffman” in high respect. She was my godmother.

Midge Phillips McWhirter, Palm Springs

NFL brouhaha spurs questions

I was discharged from the Army in 1968. My three years in the service had included a tour of duty in Vietnam.

An issue that stood out to me at the time was that along with the articles in the newspapers and segments on television about the war here at home and in Vietnam, there was always a whole section in the papers and a whole segment on television dedicated to sports. It got so I couldn’t tell the body counts from the game scores.

I lost all interest in following sports, until now. Thanks to our “fortunate son,” commander-in-chief my interest has been somewhat awakened. His public denouncements of the athletes taking a knee during the national anthem have caused me to wonder about the unnamed draftee who had to take his place.

Who was he? Where did he come from? What was his ethnicity? Did he live or die?

Jim Rothblatt, Palm Springs

Workplace is the wrong place

The bottom line is that a football stadium is the football player’s workplace. How many everyday Americans would be allowed to voice their political views/protests in any similar fashion in their place of business?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell claims he is trying to stay out of politics, but the sole reason he is catering to and negotiating with the players over the bended knee issue is to be politically correct.

The place for these players to exercise their views is by working to make their communities better and support efforts to provide opportunity for all.

Do we know the stats of how many football players are in trouble with the law? It's alarming and might just possibly be at least a portion of the reason they are rebelling and criticizing law and order.

The same rationale applies to the movie industry's annual Oscar show. It is an awards ceremony, not a political forum. This situation could use a clear-eyed viewpoint.

Sunny Kreis Collins, Palm Desert

Hampton good for Palm Springs

The race for the seats on the Palm Springs City Council recently took a turn towards nasty, partisan politics.

I received a flyer in the mail attacking Henry Hampton and promoting two female candidates. Candidates for City Council should be elected on the basis of their experience in dealing with city governance and the many administrative issues associated with it and Henry has the know-how to do just that.

He has a law degree, a commercial pilot’s license and has a real estate license. He has two small children in the Palm Springs Unified School District. His volunteer activities include serving on the Palm Springs Airport Commission; president of the Rotary Club of Palm Springs Sunup; Boys and Girls Club board of directors; and other affiliations.

He is a tried-and-true product of our great city. Henry is endorsed by the Palm Springs Police Officers Association, The Desert Sun, and by Riverside Sheriff Stan Sniff, among others.

I support Henry Hampton because he is focused on running a campaign based on honesty and integrity – something we do not have much of right now in our country.

William R. Chase, Palm Springs

Holstege can help neighbors

We have had the opportunity to hear Christy Holstege speak on several occasions in the past few months and are very impressed by her intelligence, knowledge, energy and compassion. We hope that the people of Palm Springs elect her to the City Council. Most recently we heard Christy explain in great detail her plans for making sure that the city is fiscally responsible without having to cut vital services for families.

We live in Cathedral City but spend a considerable amount of time and money in Palm Springs. She, along with Lisa Middleton, will best meet the needs of the community.